November 25, 2024
Today, Liberal Leader Zach Churchill took aim at Nova Scotia’s worsening housing crisis, calling out Tim Houston’s government for failing renters and outlining the Nova Scotia Liberals’ plan to address skyrocketing rents and housing insecurity.
Killam, one of the largest corporate landlords in the province, reported a nearly 10% increase in profit in the last year. These profits were driven by rising rents that Nova Scotians simply cannot afford, as demonstrated in a recent CBC report showing how rents have surged under Houston’s watch.
“Corporate profits are up, but it’s renters who are paying the price. Let’s be clear: this is happening because Tim Houston and his government have let it happen,” said Churchill. “The Conservatives’ arbitrary rent cap has done nothing to stop rents from skyrocketing. The NDP talks a big game about housing, but their plan doesn’t go far enough. It’s built on the assumption that we’ll be stuck in a housing crisis forever.”
The Nova Scotia Liberals are committed to real solutions, including:
- Immediate Rent Relief: Everyone experiences emergencies–and that shouldn’t cause people to worry about losing their home. A Nova Scotia Liberal government will establish a Rent Bank, a low-cost, high-value program that can provide quick turnaround, zero-interest loans to renters that find themselves stuck.
- Better Rent Control: Right now, Tim Houston can change the rent cap on a whim–and that’s bad for everyone. A Nova Scotia Liberal government will implement a fairer system where the cap is based on inflation, market conditions, and vacancy rates on a regional basis until adequate housing supply is reached and there is a healthy vacancy rate of 3%.
- Closing the Fixed-Term Lease Loophole: A Nova Scotia Liberal government would end fixed-term lease abuse by ensuring that landlords cannot offer tenants fixed term leases longer than one year. Extensions beyond the fixed term would automatically transition the lease to month-to-month.
- Reversing the Harsh Cuts to the Rental Supplement: In 2023, Tim Houston raised the cut-off for rental supplements from the 30% it was under the previous Liberal government to 50%. A Nova Scotia Liberal government would reverse that.
- Establishing a Residential Tenancies Enforcement Unit: Despite recommendations to establish a Residential Tenancies Enforcement Unit to deal with tenancy disputes–and support from both landlords and tenants to do so–Tim Houston’s government decided not to implement one. A Nova Scotia Liberal government will implement a Residential Tenancies Enforcement Unit.
“This housing crisis is a failure of leadership,” said Churchill. “Tim Houston is standing by while too many Nova Scotians worry they are one bad day away from losing the roof over their heads. The Nova Scotia Liberal Party is the only party with a real plan to tackle the housing crisis and ensure every Nova Scotian has a safe, affordable place to call home.”
